1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and system for data processing or information handling systems in general and, in particular, to a method and system for processing vector data in a computer system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for using a single "bounds compare" function when performing trivial acceptance testing in three-dimensional graphic operations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Applications of modern computer systems are requiring greater speed and data handling capabilities for uses such as multimedia and scientific modeling. For example, multimedia systems generally are designed to perform video and audio data compression, decompression, and high-performance manipulation such as three-dimensional imaging and graphics. Three-dimensional imaging and graphics require massive data manipulation and an extraordinary amount of high-performance arithmetic and vector-matrix operations. Trivial acceptance testing and clipping are two problems in producing three-dimensional graphics which are bound by a series of floating-point comparisons and their respective conditional branches. The main problem is that traditional computer instruction set architectures do not provide the optimal set of primitives to implement the required function, namely a bounds comparison to determine if the condition, -X.ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.+X, is met, and if not, how it is not met. A typical application takes approximately seven computer instructions, including two compares and two dependent conditional branches to implement this function. Therefore, there is a need for accomplishing this result with a single "bounds compare" instruction that is less complex than using single compare instructions. The subject invention herein solves this problem in a new and unique manner that has not been part of the art previously.